


Love is Instability

by spideys_ass



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anti-Android Sentiments (Detroit: Become Human), Case Fic, Connor is a Mess (Detroit: Become Human), Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), connor is a detective
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25604224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideys_ass/pseuds/spideys_ass
Summary: Connor is finally an official employee of the Detroit Police Department.His first case brings a string of exclusively android victims, mysterious causes of death, and seemingly nothing that ties any of them together.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 24





	1. The Briefing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Iaminfactlarry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iaminfactlarry/gifts).



**November 29, 2038 AM 11:24:26**

The shiny reflection of Connor’s newly produced silver badge caught his eye as he passed by the window of DPD Captain Fowler’s office. The man had just called Hank and Connor’s names from across the bullpen, summoning them to his office. 

Connor prepared himself for what he presumed to be another case, handed to him by the Captain. It was going to be his first case with the police detective badge, finally. Sure, there had been other cases since the ‘revolution’, but he’d been there more as an aid, not as a paid employee of the DPD.

Connor reached for the office door, holding it open and standing to the side, letting Hank enter the room before him. The lieutenant’s eyes flickered to his own as they stood before Fowler. 

“It seems we’ve got another android-related case, for you two, right off the bat.” He unlocked the tablet before him with a flick, reading from it. “Elmwood Park, 10 AM, a WR600 with the registered name Lucas—“ Fowler stopped short for a moment. “Died, of unknown causes. There were two witnesses, Amelia Welsh, and another WR600 that was in the vicinity at the time of death.” Fowler placed down the tablet before them, open with the digital image of the deceased WR600. The male android laid on his side, collapsed on the ground, although he seemed to have no bodily injuries. The only noticeable alarming trait was the thirium dripping from his mouth. 

Hank narrowed his eyes. “Unknown causes? I thought it was nearly impossible to kill an android, unless you messed with, y’know,” Connor feels his eyes upon him. “Whatever ‘bio-components’ they have, and such.” 

“Not necessarily... but yes, that is usually the case.” Connor peered down at the image, then straightened his posture. “How certain is it that this is a permanent shut down?” He addressed Fowler. 

Fowler furrowed his brows, obviously not too certain himself. Before, he had no reason to be knowledgeable about the functionality of androids. “We have yet to check, actually, we have no way to check, except that the other WR600 claimed that it was... permanently shut down.”

“He.” Hank corrected. 

Connor felt a... warmth rise to his cheeks at Hank’s correction of the Captain. An involuntary temperature change in a specific location was extremely odd... but probably just another symptom of his deviancy.

⚠️ SYSTEM ERROR; TEMPERATURE RISE DETECTED

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

 _Oh._

Definitely, then. Just another error due to an emotional response. One he hadn’t yet experienced, though. A quick search of his databases informed him that it is natural in humans, it is ‘blushing’.

Connor was nudged out of his research by Hank’s elbow to his side. 

“You with us?” Hank peered at him, concerned. 

“I—“ Connor blinked, looking between him and Fowler, both had eyes on him. “Yes, of course.” 

“Alright.” Fowler growled, gesturing to the door. “Then get the hell out, you’ve got a case to solve.”

[ Find killer of WR600. ]

Connor turned, while Hank’s eye twitched, likely holding back a snarky response on account of this being their first ‘real’ case together as equal partners. Connor gave the lieutenant’s wrist a small tug, and easily pulled him out of Fowler’s office. 

His fingers were only grasped loosely around the cuff of Hank’s leather jacket, yet some soft feeling bloomed in his chest.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

He dropped his hand immediately, perhaps too soon, but he faced no scrutiny as they walked out the DPD precinct doors.


	2. Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor go investigate the crime scene of the deactivated WR600 android.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! Back with a little bit of a longer chapter! I’m gonna be updating this thing in short little chapters in an attempt to update more frequently!

**November 29, 2038 AM 11:46:09**

“Shit...” Hank breathed out as he activated the car’s brakes, parking them on the curb. “Looks like the place alright.”

Connor looked out through the window, at the mess that had unfolded at the edge of the public park. A small area had been roped off with the classic yellow tape, and there were a few officers on scene, mostly keeping back passerby’s, local news cameras, and bloggers that tried to intrude on the scene. 

Both doors closed with two respective bangs, as they marched up to the crime scene. The closer they got, the more Connor could see, though his view was still partially obstructed by someone pointing a phone at the ground. The figure finally came into view. The collapsed WR600 Android with thirium dripping down its mouth. The blue blood didn’t stop there, but spread into a large pool around the android’s upper body.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

Connor shook his head, every so slightly. There was no time to feel bad for the android when he had a mission to accomplish.

[ Find cause of death. ]

Connor knelt next to the vic, vaguely aware of the lieutenant speaking to the uniformed police officer on duty. 

**Clues to Analyse /6**

1/6  


Hair Color: Pastel Blue; An alteration from the model’s natural hair.

2/6  


Android is wearing human clothing. 

[ Lucas had a strong sense of individuality. ]

3/6  


Android wearing city employee badge, kept his same position working as a gardener. 

Connor stuck two fingers down into the pool of thirium, and brought it back up to his tongue, taking a sample.

“Jesus, _fuck_ Connor, that’s fucking sick! Can you stop with that?” Hank’s disgusted and distressed tone made him pause for a moment, before he licked his fingers.

4/6  


BLUE BLOOD  
MODEL WR600  
Serial number #624 876 348 

Connor turned to Hank, activating his best ‘puppy eyes’ as human referred to his expression, in pleading with the man. “I’m sorry, lieutenant, but it is much more convenient than waiting hours for the CSI report.” 

Hank just muttered, “Fucking disgusting...” Before turning his attention back to the officer. 

There hadn’t seemed to be any anomalies evident in the thirium itself. Connor scooted closer to the body, scanning it with his eyes. The android’s hand was clenched around some metal object. He opened its fist, and stared at what it held.

5/6  


14 karat gold necklace. The centrepiece depicted a name, ‘Melissa’. 

[ Melissa was likely an important person in Lucas’s life. Perhaps a close friend, or significant other. ]

Connor brought his hand up to the LED of the WR600, and retracted his synthetic human skin.

6/6  


DIAGNOSIS IN PROGRESS...  


BIOCOMPONENT #7315 CRITICALLY DAMAGED 

The thirium pump... for some reason it had been damaged, but from the inside out. 

**RECONSTRUCT**

An image of Lucas coughing as he walked along the edge of the park, throwing up blue blood, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace and staring at it, before collapsing, and convulsing, the thirium draining out through his mouth. 

********

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

It was an extremely grotesque image. Connor had heard of what humans called ‘sympathetic pukers’, but it was likely that same sentiment couldn’t be applied to androids like himself. 

Connor stood, turning away from the victim’s body, and to Hank. “It seems... as he was dying, he expelled thirium from his mouth, and convulsed. However, the cause of death is due to an issue with his thirium pump. There seems to be no harm to it from an external source.” Connor disliked the unsure tone in his own voice, but the situation wasn’t very clear. The Android was certainly dead, as there was no reactivation once the thirium pump was permanently damaged, but... what had caused it damaged?

“Hmm.” Hank thought over Connor’s words, staring at the corpse, before his narrowed eyes flew to his partners. “Hang on— You said convulsed? As in a seizure? Muscles contracting rapidly? But you android’s don’t have muscles.”

“Not exactly.” Not muscles in a natural human sense. “Rapid bodily movement could also be caused in androids when there is some kind of strong electrical shock...” He rubbed his hands together, and his brows furrowed. “Although, that leaves the question of how the shock would have been transmitted.” 

“Some kind of...” Hank waves his hand in the air. “Glitch, maybe?” 

Connor could tell his LED was yellow. “Maybe.” He wasn’t going to rule it out, but he’d never heard of a ‘glitch’ in this capacity.

It was hard for Connor form a hypothesis with such a lack of substantial evidence. 

“I believe we should progress to hearing what the witnesses have to say. You take the human, I’ll take the android.” At his words, Hank’s brows furrowed for a quick moment, before he stalked off to the girl, Amelia. Recently, he’d noticed these kinds of reactions when Hank and him split up work, like he’s uncomfortable with Connor’s methods. It only made sense for Connor to communicate with the androids, as they came to trust him more, and because he could prove them, if necessary. As for the humans... obviously Connor was programmed as a great negotiator, but even still, Hank had years of experience with human empathy that he lacked. Even still, he hoped he wasn’t truly making Hank too unhappy. 

Connor saw Hank pull Amelia off to the side, away from the other WR600, which Connor then approached. The model looked identical to Lucas, both light skinned and blonde, wearing their Detroit city uniform. They looked like Ralph, sans the damage to his form.

The android looked distressed, holding a DPD shock blanket around himself. The android noticed him before he fully approached. 

“You’re— you’re Connor, right?” The WR600 asked shakily. 

Anxiety flooded through his sensors, and an emotion Connor found was defined dread, grasped him. ‘Deviant hunter’ were the next words Connor expected out of the android’s mouth. His LED flashing red, he turned his head away. Connor nodded, all the same.

Instead, what he got was a pained smile. “You led the march from CyberLife Tower. Thank you.” 

Oh. He didn’t expect— Didn’t expect that. Thank rA9.

“Of— of course.” Connor didn’t usually stutter, and he found that he hated it. “What is your name?” A scan would tell him the previous designated name for the model, as most systems hadn’t yet been updated with all of the new information. 

“Adam. I’m— I’m Adam. Are you going to ask me about...” Adam trailed off, looking in the direction of Lucas, and his LED blinked red.

“I’m afraid so, as we need every bit of information to help us determine his cause of death. Although, if you would prefer, I could just probe your memory.”

Adam mer his eyes. “Um, yes. Please,” He held out his hand, and Connor met it, their skin pulling back. What he saw confirmed his reconstruction, but from a panicked first hand account. Connor withdrew his hand. It was clear that these two knew each other, and had worked together in the same capacity before the revolution. 

“Had Lucas acted any different in the past few days?”

“I mean, that’s kind of difficult to say, as y’know, we’ve all just gained our freedom and all. We just returned to work a few days ago. We were in the middle of a shift, when he...” Adam sighed.

“Do you think there would have been anyone that would intentionally want to do this to him? Someone that didn’t like him?” 

Adam looked up, shaken. “No, of course not! We’d spent nearly all of our time at the nearby android shelter, with others like us. We’re all just... starting to become ourselves, and Lucas, he was sweet.”

Connor nodded. That made sense. He understood that too. That’s what made it especially horrible. Though, he still wasn’t learning anything about Lucas’s death.

“Do you know of anyone named Melissa?” 

Adam’s LED flickered from red to yellow. “Melissa, yes. She was— Well, before the revolution she was responsible for us, a government employee who would give us commands. Now she’s our manager, so she basically has the same job, except, we’re now paid.” 

Odd that Lucas would be carrying around a gold necklace with his boss’s name on it. Perhaps it was to be a gift? Connor wasn’t quite sure. He glanced over to Hank, who appeared to be finished with the female witness, as she was sitting away from him. Hank caught his eye. 

‘Got anything?’ Hank mouthed. Connor shook his head no, before turning back to Adam. The scene itself wasn’t too revealing. This was incredibly frustrating for Connor, he usually would have found some scrap of information to go on, to progress the case. But, nada. 

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Hank. 

“Almost done?”

“Yes.” Connor turned to Adam, trying to make his face make a sympathetic and warm smile. “Thank you for your cooperation.” 

Hank huffed as they walked to the car. “Didn’t learn a damn thing beyond what we could already tell for ourselves. The girl didn’t know him, had apparently just been walking near him and had to witness... well, _that_.”

“The android, Adam, was helpful, but I am still unclear how to progress.”

“Mmm.” Hank opened his door, sliding into the seat, and starting the engine. “What’d he say?”

“Well, I probed his memory, and saw the android deactivate, confirming previous theories, although I am still unsure why it occurred. The only insight I gained wasn’t very helpful. Lucas pulled a necklace from his pocket as he died, 14 karat gold with the name ‘Melissa’ on it. Melissa is his newly promoted manager. I theorise that this was to be a gift, maybe for the new promotion.”

Hank let out a chuckle, making Connor snap to look at him. “A boy giving a girl a gold necklace with her name on it? Nah, he totally had that hots for his boss.”

Connor could tell his LED was spinning yellow as he processed. This sort of gift was intended to be romantic? “A courting gift?”

This had Hank sputtering laughing again. “Sure, you could say that, I guess.”

“Either way, I think it would prove beneficial to speak to her.”

“Yeah. When we get back to the station, we’ll get someone to contact her.” Hank turned, and Connor stared at his hands on the wheel, as he moved them, like it was second nature. Hank’s hands made the cylinder curves look slim, as they circled around it, gripping it. 

Connor could feel his face warm again, and he quickly turned away from Hank. He prepared for the following alert.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

Connor rested his head against the glass of the window and sighed, looking out at the city buildings passing by so fast. Was he going to have an alert every time he experienced a particularly strong emotion? 

“Lookin’ real angsty over there, Connor.” Connor flicked his eyes from the window to Hank, and found a warm smile on his face. 

It created a light feeling in his chest, and only made the box in the corner of his vision persist. Connor searched his databases for what this could mean, but rather than finding any information about androids, he found that it was a surprisingly common human feeling. He ignored any information on ‘heart palpitations’ which wouldn’t be relevant to him, and found that it could be considered an emotion. They assigned it a specific analogy, ‘butterflies in your chest’. It was a feeling consistent to—

Connor spared another glance at Hank, who was waiting for a response. He only hummed in reply, before looking out the window to do some more thinking. 

Butterflies in your chest/stomach were consistent with feelings of falling in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the words of Iaminfactlarry: 
> 
> Adam, looking down at Lucas: “Lucas! Lucas! Oh ma fuckin gawd he fuckin ded.”


	3. Preconstructions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so! I edited the work skin a LOT, and I think it’s a lot cooler now! It took me a while, cause I’m bad at tech, but now it kinda emulates the game more.

**November 29 PM 8:36:18**

Falling in love. Connor. With Hank.

Connor sat across from Hank on the couch and stared at the man. Hank, now relaxed in lounge clothes, and with half of Sumo on his lap, watching the night’s basketball game. The man watched it intently, occasionally yelling at the tv, or taking a swig of his beer, or patting Sumo on the head. There was something about him that seemed very comfortable and expressive.

Connor on the other hand, was sitting up straight, his hip touching the armrest. For the past little while he’d just been analysing Hank, thinking over his newly recognised emotions with his LED spinning yellow. 

Hmm. It was curious, Connor didn’t know much about love.

Love  
_noun_  
an intense feeling of deep affection  
_verb_  
feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment (to someone)

Connor supposed the first one was true. The second however... he was unclear on. He wasn’t quite sure of romantic or sexual attachments. He hadn’t witnessed many. He didn’t exactly know what they entailed. Sure, there was information online about the definitions. But something about it seemed, more intimate, more personal, and more complex than what could be housed in his databases.

When he brought to mind couples that he was aware of, he thought of the two girls at the Eden club, Markus and North, and Hank and his ex-wife. 

The girls at the Eden club had held hands. People that love each other must hold hands, Connor concludes. He looks down at his own hands, clasped together on his lap, and then at Hank’s hands. One resting on Sumo’s fur, the other wrapped around a bottle. Would he like to hold Hank’s hand? The conclusion is an astounding _yes_. Just the thought made Connor’s fingertips twitch. 

Markus and North had proclaimed their love for each other on international television. Kissing, before the troops, as they made their last stand. Connor didn’t know what that would feel like, but it looked extremely intimate. 

Connor brought two fingers up to his mouth, registering their pressure. He rubbed them lightly against his lips. It didn’t feel especially _good,_ but it was extra sensitive. 

His eyes flickered to the edge of his vision, to Hank’s figure. Would Connor like to replicate what Markus and North did? Have his lips pressed against Hank’s in such an intimate fashion? Not only was the skin on his lips sensitive, but Connor felt some of that instinctual intimacy must come from the connection of two open orifices, pressed together. 

He looked at Hank’s lips. At his facial hair that Connor would surely feel rub against his face if their lips touched.

⚠️ SYSTEM ERROR; TEMPERATURE RISE DETECTED

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

Connor was leaning towards _yes,_ he probably would like it. But how would he know? Even in deviancy, he was finding some preferences difficult to determine. Some were easy, but others... not so much. 

Well, Connor did have an idea that may help him.

**PRECONSTRUCT**

An outline of Connor scooted over towards Hank on the couch, leaned up, over Sumo, and rested its hand on Hank’s neck to help steady itself. It placed its other hand on his shoulders, then leaned forward, letting their lips touch, softly, carefully.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

⚠️ SYSTEM ERROR; THIRIUM PUMP ANOMALY DETECTED 

Connor shuddered, a shock to his system from the very importance of the new information. Yes, _yes,_ he wanted to kiss Hank. But the preconstruction was not complete.

The outline of Hank pushed the outline of Connor back, tumbling to the other side of the couch, before the Hank stood, and stumbled back from the couch.

No. Connor closed his eyes. He didn’t want that second part to happen, Connor knew that for sure. But the first part was such a contrast.

He wanted that. What the two deviants at the Eden club had, what Markus and North had. Love. With Hank. It was an overwhelming emotion. To want that. It felt to Connor like what a system overload should feel like, except he hadn’t gotten an error of that type.

“—nor! _Connor!_ ” His sensitivity detectors on his shoulder were activated, something was touching him.

Connor snapped his eyes open. 

Hank. Hank was in his space, it was his hand on his shoulder, Connor’s name spilling from his mouth. His face contorted into some primary emotion.

Concern?

“Jesus fucking _Christ,_ kid, you scared the shit outta me. I thought you were...” He trails off, uncomfortably. “Glitching, or something.” 

“Oh.” Connor looked up into Hank’s eyes, or, tried to. The lieutenant was still on edge, eyes shifting. “I’m sorry. I’m fine.”

“Good.” Hank sighed. “Yeah, good.” Hank shifted his position, leaning back onto his heels. “Well, uh, it’s late. We, er, _I_ better get to bed... yeah.” He shoved his hands into the center pocket of the worn Detroit Police academy hoodie. 

Connor hummed, nodding. He’d noticed that humans do that, in response when no real communication was needed. He hoped it seemed normal, human. 

Hank gave him a soft smile. “Goodnight, Connor.” When he was behind the couch, he stopped behind Connor, and ruffled his hair, before heading off to his room. 

Connor closed his eyes. He replayed Hank’s fingers in his hair, slowed the memory. Hank’s fingertips against his artificial scalp. It was enjoyable. It was similar to how he touched Sumo, when he pets him, the dog he loves. And now this show of affection was extended to Connor, too.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY **^**

It felt nice. To be an object of Hank’s affection. He wanted more of it, he— he _craved_ it. He’d never known hunger, but it felt like how he imaged hunger to feel in humans. 

But Hank wouldn’t... Connor wasn’t going to get the kind of affection he desired. ‘Kid’, Hank called him. It was extremely likely that Hank viewed him as a partial son, a child. That made an unpleasant feeling arise.

⚠️ SYSTEM ERROR; TEMPERATURE RISE DETECTED

If Hank had parental feelings of affection for him, Connor definitely shouldn’t have _romantic_ feelings. He shouldn’t. He should not feel this way. Wrong. Hank would likely be mortified if he knew. If he found out. Discovered Connor’s feelings. This wasn’t good— Connor felt bad— Unpleasant emotion— _Wrong_ — He felt—

Shame.

Shame?

Shame  
_noun_  
a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

Oh.

Connor decided he didn’t like shame very much. 

He huffed, in annoyance, at the feeling of shame. Connor brought his legs up under him on the couch, leaned into the couch armrest, and brought his hands close to his stomach, resting against his soft ‘Knights of the Black Death’ tee that was on loan. 

Hank was gone, and he’d rather not think on this specific emotion any longer.

 **Initiating stasis...**  
  
RK800  
SERIAL; #313 248 317 - 51  
LAST UPDATE; 2038.11.08  
  
RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC; complete  
CURRENT MEMORY FOOTPRINT; 238 petabytes  
POWERING DOWN; “non-essential” designated biocomponents  
POWERING DOWN; biosensors  
COMPUTER PROCESSING UNIT; sleep mode  
OPERATING SYSTEM; mind palace override  
  
READY? [Y/N]  
  
[Y]  
  
**Entering stasis...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll probably have another pretty short chapter out later tonight or tomorrow!


End file.
